Prospect tournament a proving ground for Penguins' Kuhnhackl

[HF Article]

Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect Tom Kuhnhackl spent most of the 2013-14 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, registering 8 goals and 2 assists in 48 games for that club (courtesy of Mark Spowart/Icon Sportswire)


*

For the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ Tom Kuhnhackl, having participated in the Leafs’ rookie tournament for a third consecutive year doesn’t prevent some confusion, especially when the team’s second game featured a new wrinkle on an old rule.

“It was really different. We started off four on four, then went to three on three,†he said. “I’m not used to it, but we have a lot of guys who can take advantage of it — they’re really fast and they can really use their speed three on three.â€

Kuhnhackl, of course, was referring to the new AHL sudden-death overtime rule that sees a seven-minute period broken up at the first whistle following three minutes of play.… read more

The post Prospect tournament a proving ground for Penguins’ Kuhnhackl appeared first on Hockey's Future.



More...

Click to read more...

 

[wgknestrick]

Next Tangradi, CPZ, etc. We keep wanting more from him, but it never seems to happen.

 

[Son Goku]

Looking more and more like a bust.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I don't have much hope left regarding Kuhn

 

[OnMyOwn]

He was my favorite prospect a couple years ago. I'm really pulling for the guy.

 

[djt153]

i wonder why das kuhn's skating seems impervious to improvement

 

[jmelm]

Anyone who has actually watched Kuhn over the last several seasons would know that his skating has improved considerably. He may not set records, but I've never seen him skate as well as I have the last 3 games in this tourney. I love the huge hit he laid behind the net as well, he's blocked some shots, and he's been pretty tenacious on the forecheck. Even got a few PK shifts today.

He'll be given every opportunity this year. The coaches know what his upside can be, and they'll give him the chance to try to prove himself. Let's see where he's at half way through the season and go from there.

 

[canadianguy77]

Looking more and more like a bust.

What does that mean? Wasn't he like a 4th rounder or something? "Busts" are usually picked early in the 1st round.

 

[NatureBoy]

Anyone who has actually watched Kuhn over the last several seasons would know that his skating has improved considerably. He may not set records, but I've never seen him skate as well as I have the last 3 games in this tourney. I love the huge hit he laid behind the net as well, he's blocked some shots, and he's been pretty tenacious on the forecheck. Even got a few PK shifts today.

He'll be given every opportunity this year. The coaches know what his upside can be, and they'll give him the chance to try to prove himself. Let's see where he's at half way through the season and go from there.

Do you agree that time is running out and that he needs to make a big jump this year or else just go back to Europe or something?

 

[StaalForOne]

What does that mean? Wasn't he like a 4th rounder or something? "Busts" are usually picked early in the 1st round.

I want to say 2nd rounder. Could be wrong

edit: 4th. I'm wrong

 

[Son Goku]

What does that mean? Wasn't he like a 4th rounder or something? "Busts" are usually picked early in the 1st round.

It means he looked promising at one point but no longer does. Or at least he's falling in the ranks.

 

[jmelm]

Do you agree that time is running out and that he needs to make a big jump this year or else just go back to Europe or something?

Kuhn absolutely has to establish himself as at least a reliable and good all around top-9, if not top-6 forward, who can contribute on at least the PP, if not also the PK (which he played a lot in Windsor, and got a few shifts in the last game). He's got to produce offensive, use his size, and be an effective player.


If he's being a regular healthy scratch or seeing ECHL time this year, then I think you can stick a fork in him. But he clearly has top-6 AHL size and talent, so we'll see.

 

[wgknestrick]

I am pretty sure that there has never been a "bust" of a 4th round pick. Only 8% of 4th round forwards play 200+ NHL games.

 

[No Quarter*]

I'm rooting for him but it seems like he's been around awhile and hasn't done much.
Who knows maybe he'll do something big in AHL this season.

 

[wej20]

Just finished watching the game against the Leafs, he did lay one big hit but otherwise was pretty unnoticeable. He has good size but wasn't winning many battles on the wall, he's still very much a plodder and could get anything going offensively or unleash his shot.

 

[wgknestrick]

Just finished watching the game against the Leafs, he did lay one big hit but otherwise was pretty unnoticeable. He has good size but wasn't winning many battles on the wall, he's still very much a plodder and could get anything going offensively or unleash his shot.

year after year

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Next Tangradi, CPZ, etc. We keep wanting more from him, but it never seems to happen.

Not even remotely close. Tangradi was a big man that didn't want to play the game the team wanted him to, of course he goes to Winnipeg and suddenly starts to play a somewhat ok bottom 6 role.

Kuhnhackl is more raw than them, CPZ toiled around in BCHL for longer than I would like and was on a very good WHL team and he's just a joke in general. Kuhn is a long shot, a very long shot, but if he can stay healthy and prove he can play in a top 6 role in the AHL by earning that job, you never know.

He plays a better 200ft game than CPZ. Has a more lethal shot than Tangradi. We'll see how motivated he is.

I see him as last on the depth chart for Pens drafted forwards in WBS.

 

[jmelm]

Not even remotely close. Tangradi was a big man that didn't want to play the game the team wanted him to, of course he goes to Winnipeg and suddenly starts to play a somewhat ok bottom 6 role.

Kuhnhackl is more raw than them, CPZ toiled around in BCHL for longer than I would like and was on a very good WHL team and he's just a joke in general. Kuhn is a long shot, a very long shot, but if he can stay healthy and prove he can play in a top 6 role in the AHL by earning that job, you never know.

He plays a better 200ft game than CPZ. Has a more lethal shot than Tangradi. We'll see how motivated he is.

I see him as last on the depth chart for Pens drafted forwards in WBS.

Good call on pointing out the differences. He's still a better skater now than Tangradi
ever way, and he can improve that even further.

As mentioned, I really believe Kuhn can be a player. He doesn't have to, and we shouldn't expect him, to look like an NHLer right now. Bottom line, he just has to prove that he can be a top 6 player in WBS right now, and then he'll have one more junior season to improve further and start knocking on the door for some call ups.

And yes, while I agree that he was not that noticeable in the last game: he was being used on a 3rd line without any guys who are really good playmakers. He is a sniper, and he has to be put with guys who can help set him up and create offense. Just the way guys like Neal are limited in what they can do themselves if they're playing with grinders, Kuhn has to play with guys who are really good playmakers and creative offensive players with vision. Not saying Kuhn will be as good as Neal, but they're similar types of players and they need to play with the right partners.

 

[Burgs]

From what I saw from him in that third game, Kühnhackl still hasn't figured out the North American game. His top speed looked ok but his first few steps are sluggish, he had the turning circle of an 18 wheeler and he sometimes stopped skating altogether, just gliding around slowly to look what was happening. It probably looked even worse because the rest of the forwards were mostly smaller, quicker guys. But IMO he simply doesn't hustle enough to create chances on the smaller ice. I didn't see him do that back in Germany so maybe he picked up these traits in Windsor where they let him play sniper. Hynes apparently wants to play him more as a power forward but I don't think he has the right attitude for it.

 

[wej20]

From what I saw from him in that third game, Kühnhackl still hasn't figured out the North American game. His top speed looked ok but his first few steps are sluggish, he had the turning circle of an 18 wheeler and he sometimes stopped skating altogether, just gliding around slowly to look what was happening. It probably looked even worse because the rest of the forwards were mostly smaller, quicker guys. But IMO he simply doesn't hustle enough to create chances on the smaller ice. I didn't see him do that back in Germany so maybe he picked up these traits in Windsor where they let him play sniper. Hynes apparently wants to play him more as a power forward but I don't think he has the right attitude for it.

100% agree, the fact that he isn't quick is magnified by how slowly he turns. He dished out that one big hit but he doesn't have the mentality to play a power forward game, best thing for his career would be go back to Germany and rebuild his game for a few years then attempt to crack the NHL again. I don't know why they're trying to making him a power forward, his stand out attribute is his wicked shot.